Dad (NG Kwok Wing, 伍光榮) arrived in New Zealand in 1940. He had experienced the loud guns of the Japanese invading Guangzhou, China. He bought himself a 22 rifle and was prepared to defend New Zealand. He bought the jacket to keep warm during early morning and night in the dark depths of winter while he voluntarily patrolled the beach.

Mum (YUNG Toy Yuk) arrived in New Zealand in 1953. Her pink gumboots showed a journey of hard work. The gumboots were worn for chores near the home like getting veggies from the garden for tea, feeding the ducks and chickens, and hanging out the washing. Mum and dad bought fowls and they killed and plucked them for their Chinese friends who visited regularly. The gumboots had kept her feet warm and dry. We owe a lot to that gumboots, memories of love for us.

Ying FOON

2015

Meng and Ying FOON

I had suggested to Gisborne Mayor Meng FOON [廖振明] for a lengthy time to photograph him and his wife Ying (nee WING) being illuminated by the world’s first light of the day before I visited him. We knew that it would be a challenging shot as we had to arrive at the spot in total darkness and waited for the transient moment. The late evening before the shot, I arrived Gisborne and rushed out to find a location with Meng, which we had (the other side of Moanna Road, Gisborne, overseeing the beach with the sunrise on the left side of the photograph). Weather forecast was not in favour of us and fortunately we were blessed on the next day that the first light hit through the cloud for about ten minutes before shying away. This photograph of their ‘selfie’ was my spontaneous click when they were having fun while waiting for me to set up the shot.

When I discussed with Meng and his wife Ying FOON (nee WING) about photographing objects of their families, Ying phoned her sister Jane and they both recalled a pair of their mum’s (YUNG Toy Yuk) gumboot and their father’s (NG Kwok Wing, 伍光榮) overcoat that are tucked behind somewhere at Jane’s home. I made a bold call to photograph the objects at where their family once lived. The next day after the portrait shot (of Ying with her husband Meng FOON), we went there and the two sisters were so excited and moved when arriving at the home they were brought up a few decades ago. Until now, I still feel delighted of my decision. For me, the photograph, which was taken in the garden shed, is a ‘selfie’ of their parents when having fun.